JORGE MARTIN HEADS TO SILVERSTONE 14 POINTS AHEAD AS THE 2026 TITLE FIGHT RESTARTS

Jorge Martin will kick off the second half of the MotoGP season at Silverstone this weekend, entering the British Grand Prix as the championship leader in his final year with Aprilia. The Spaniard holds a 14-point advantage over Trackhouse rider Ai Ogura after the summer break, with Marc Marquez, Aprilia team-mate Marco Bezzecchi and VR46’s Fabio di Giannantonio all sitting within 24 points of Martin.

Martin’s summer came after a strong run that included a “perfect double” at Le Mans, but his recent form has been mixed by comparison to his early momentum: he has finished on the podium just three times in the last 12 races. He also pointed to the impact of a crash he triggered in Hungary, where he suffered a Turn 1 accident. According to Martin, the aftermath involved both setup concerns and physical issues. Crash.net also noted that Martin’s first win on the RS-GP came at the French Grand Prix, and that while he has been inconsistent, he has still shown speed—being consistently the fastest Aprilia rider in the final rounds before the summer break.

The break, however, gave him time to reset. “It was an extremely positive summer break,” Martin said. He explained that he was able to rest, while also training consistently, and added that he completed a bicycle challenge with friends—something he had long wanted to do. “I can’t wait to be back on the track with my Aprilia and to work with my team again,” he added.

Looking ahead to the title fight, Martin said the momentum of the season’s second half is something he’s ready to attack. “We have an exciting second half of the season ahead of us, where we’ll be striving to give one hundred per cent.” He also highlighted Silverstone specifically, noting that it is a circuit he likes and that he has “outstanding memories” there. Martin, who missed last year’s Silverstone round due to injury, said, “I hope to give our fans some great satisfaction.”

Behind Martin, the championship picture is tight. MotoGP News’ preview underlined that the top five are separated by only 24 points heading into the British GP, with Aprilia’s Bezzecchi sitting fourth in the standings after 11/22 rounds. It also placed Martin on 208 points ahead of Ogura on 194, while Marquez was on 190 and Bezzecchi on 186. The same report noted that Marquez entered the summer break with momentum after his clean sweep at the German Grand Prix, where his double delight from pole at the Sachsenring left him only 18 points shy of the championship lead.

Since returning from surgery at the Italian Grand Prix, Marquez has won three main races and completed two 37-point weekends, wiping out a 102-point deficit down to just 18 after the German Grand Prix. MotoGP News’ experts also suggested Marquez may have a particularly strong route to points in the sprint format at Silverstone, with Kyle Archer calling the Sprint “Marc Marquez’s best chance” to win the British GP weekend, citing his four Sprint wins so far this season and saying he “will not fear pushing his shoulder for 10 laps” despite the Sunday race being harder.

For Bezzecchi, the challenge is steadiness. Crash.net reported that the Italian has not seen a Sunday chequered flag since the Italian Grand Prix, and that in the meantime he was taken out of the Hungarian Grand Prix, suspended from the Czech Grand Prix after striking a marshal, crashed from the Dutch Grand Prix and failed to start in Germany after fracturing his collarbone in qualifying. MotoGP News added that Aprilia expect him to be back at Silverstone after that German absence. The same preview also flagged that Bezzecchi’s return comes with his title hopes needing a quick reset.

MotoGP News also brought additional context to the Silverstone weekend beyond the title fight. It said Gresini revealed that Fermin Aldeguer will miss the British GP as he continues recovery from a T7 vertebra fracture, with Ducati World Superbike rider Iker Lecuona set to replace him alongside Alex Marquez. It further noted that Alex Marquez won the Sprint at Silverstone last season and could be a contender again after threatening his elder brother at the Sachsenring.

Martin’s Aprilia will also be looking to translate Silverstone’s characteristics into results. The earlier report highlighted that Martin has been consistently the fastest Aprilia rider in the final rounds before the summer break, and that he will be aiming to repeat Bezzecchi’s 2025 success and help Aprilia push for another standout result. MotoGP News’ preview similarly suggested the RS-GP is widely seen as the favourite package for Silverstone’s flowing layout, while also pointing out that the top riders are close enough that the championship could swing quickly.

The championship leader will also be looking toward the future, with a switch to the factory Yamaha team confirmed for next season.